TU Delft Honors Spaceflight Entrepreneur Jeroen Wink as Top Alumnus
Delft, Friday, 23 October 2026.
TU Delft named Dawn Aerospace co-founder Jeroen Wink its 2026 Alumnus of the Year, recognizing his pioneer work with supersonic spaceplanes and over 200 rocket engines in orbit.
From Academic Foundations to Commercial Orbit
On October 22, 2026, Delft University of Technology officially named Jeroen Wink, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Dawn Aerospace, as its Alumnus of the Year for 2026 [1]. Wink earned his Master’s degree from TU Delft’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, specializing in rocket propulsion [1]. His early technical leadership gained momentum during his university studies, when he led the Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering (DARE) Stratos II+ project [1]. That initiative established a European altitude record on October 16, 2015, by reaching an altitude of 21.5 km [1].
Scaling Sustainable Space Infrastructure
Wink’s entrepreneurial trajectory began shortly after graduation when he received a Start-up Voucher from the TU Delft Aerospace Innovation Hub in 2016 [1]. That same year, he co-founded Dawn Aerospace, which has grown into an international enterprise based in Delfgauw, operating across four countries with more than 130 employees [1]. To date, the company has deployed over 200 rocket engines in space, delivering sustainable propulsion systems and technologies for in-orbit satellite refueling [1].
Breakthrough Operational Milestones
A landmark operational achievement occurred in 2024, when Dawn Aerospace’s Mk-II Aurora Spaceplane achieved supersonic flight [1]. This milestone made Dawn Aerospace the first civil aircraft operator to achieve supersonic speed since Concorde [1]. Additionally, in 2024, the company demonstrated rapid vehicle turnarounds by completing two rocket-powered flights within an eight-hour timeframe using a single aircraft [1].
Academic Endorsements and Institutional Impact
The commercial and technical momentum generated by Dawn Aerospace has drawn praise across the university [1]. Jasper Peterich, Director of Alumni Relations and Delft University Fund, noted that Wink exemplifies TU Delft’s core commitment to translating ambitious concepts into tangible innovations with global reach [1]. Henri Werij, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, highlighted Wink’s balance of technical excellence, entrepreneurship, and courage [1]. Wink’s former graduation supervisor, Angelo Cervone, characterized him as an independent and visionary thinker open to new insights and feedback [1].
Exhibitions and Future Recognition
In addition to his individual award, Wink is featured alongside seven other alumni—including Francine Houben, Karin Sluis, Jan-Maarten Geertman, and Josefien Groot—in the TU Delft Library’s ‘Traces of Transformation’ exhibition on the Collection Wall [2][4]. Project Manager Alice Motta Maia Bodanzky highlighted that displaying these career paths demonstrates to current students how academic knowledge translates into real-world impact [2][4]. The festive opening of the revamped Collection Wall is set for November 17, 2026 [2][4]. Looking further ahead, Wink will formally receive the Alumnus of the Year Award on April 20, 2027, during a symposium on sustainable space technology, where his achievement will be permanently marked with a plaque on the Alumni Walk of Fame in Mekel Park [1].